Skinwalkers
In some Native American trad itions (Navajo, Hopi, Mohawk...) the skinwalker or yeenaaldlooshii is a human who is able to shapeshift into various animal forms through magic. Description A skinwalker is usually described as naked, except for a coyote skin, or wolf skin. Some Navajos describe them as a mutated version of the animal in question. The skin may just be a mask, like those which are the only garment worn in the witches' sing. The skinwalkers are described as being fast, agile, and impossible to catch. Though some attempts have been made to shoot or kill one, they are not usually successful. Behavior Skinwalkers sometimes transform themselves into animals simply for the purpose of traversing great distances quickly. They may also transform in order to wreak havoc on others, as their identity will be hidden and they will be able to escape quickly if necessary. A skinwalker typically wears the pelt of the animal he or she will transform into, usually with no other clothing. Because of their association with skin-walkers, wild animal hides are taboo in Navajo culture and rarely seen. "They curse people and cause great suffering and death," one Navajo writer explained. "At night, their eyes glow red like hot coals. It is said that if you see the face of a Naagloshii, they have to kill you. If you see one and know who it is, they will die. If you see them and you don't know them, they have to kill you to keep you from finding out who they are. They use a mixture that some call corpse powder, which they blow into your face. Your tongue turns black and you go into convulsions and you eventually die. They are known to use evil spirits in their ceremonies. The Dine' have learned ways to protect themselves against this evil and one has to always be on guard." Physiology Skinwalkers have a body temperature of about 108°F. This high temperature allows them to withstand very cold weather and makes it difficult for them to become overheated. It also makes it very difficult for vampires to harm them in combat, due to vampires being extremely sensitive to high temperatures. Powers Shapeshifting: skinwalkers possess the ability to transform into a canine. Unlike werewolves, however, skinwalkers transform into a complete animal rather than a hybrid between man and wolf creature. Skinwalkers can change for human to animal form anytime without a full moon. Superhuman Strength: In human form, their strength is almost superhuman, and in wolf form it is at its peak and nearly equivalent to that of a vampire. Superhuman Speed: '''Skinwalkers reach great speed, up to a hundred miles per hour, which often allows them to outrun motor vehicles and have greater endurance than all normal humans. '''Telepathy: Skinwalkers are also telepathically linked with each other, enhancing their coordination during hunts and fights but allowing little or no privacy at any time. The Alphas of two different packs may communicate telepathically, and are able to choose what thoughts they share. Superhuman Senses: '''Their sense of smell is so adjusted to help them identify their one enemy, vampires. It is not clear whether it is heightened in other circumstances, but they certainly know vampires at a distance, finding their smell sickly sweet and repellent. Skinwalkers' eyes are extremely sharp and can see very far. Jared is known to have the best sight in the pack. They all have excellent hearing even in their human forms. '''Healing Factor: Skinwalkers can heal and regenerate very fast and completely. While not immortal, these capabilities allow the wolves to continue battling even after serious injury. In some cases, however, this accelerated healing can be detrimental. Weakness Human Form: While it is virtually impossible to kill a skin-walker in human form, there are magical ways to protect oneself and even to kill a skin-walker. Silver: Skinwalkers are vulnerable to and can only be killed by weapons made out of silver. Ether silver bullet or knife in it's heart. Category:Supernatural Category:Shapeshifters Category:Magic Category:Creatures